Nothing Is Forever
by Lil' Fizz
Summary: Miss Piggy has been murdered. But instead of telling his kids what's happened, Kermit decides to put it off, insisting that he has too much on his mind as it is. Will he ever tell Axel and Jasmine what's happened to their mum? And can he work out who the killer is? Kind of an extended version of my old one.
1. The Silent Stranger

Anything can happen in just one night. Sometimes, one night is all it takes to cause a lifetime of change. That night was one of those times.

The Muppets were asleep. It must've been around midnight. Axel and Jasmine slept in their room, next-door, their parents, Kermit and Miss Piggy.

But something was about to change…

A silent figure rushed by, not making a sound in the darkness of the night. She tip-toed into Kermit and Miss Piggy's room, and seized Miss Piggy by the ankles. As she slid Miss Piggy out of bed, the mysterious figure made sure not to make any noise, so as not to wake her, or anyone else.

Miss Piggy didn't wake, even when she was outside in the chilling wind, and laid on the cold pavement. The silent stranger took Miss Piggy by the shoulders, and shook her until her head thumped on the ground, and she finally woke up.

"Ow!" Piggy complained, rubbing her head.

But when she saw the green eyes glaring at her menacingly, she gave a shriek and shrank back, flattening herself against the pavement.

"Who are you?" she asked, her terrified voice a squeak.

The person didn't reply.

"Why have you brought me out here? What…what do you want with me?"

The mysterious stranger reached into her pocket, and brought out a sharp kitchen knife.

Miss Piggy screamed.


	2. A Scream

Jasmine jolted awake. She was certain she heard something, a scream? Was someone in danger?

Jasmine leaned out of bed, as far as she could, to the bed next to hers, and shook her brother awake.

"Axie?" she whispered. "Psst! Axel, wake up!"

Slowly, tiredly, Axel opened his eyes.

"Did you hear that noise?" Jasmine asked him. "Like, a scream?"

"Foxes," Axel mumbled. "Nothing else."

"Are you sure?" Jasmine said, uncertainly. "I'm kinda scared, what if someone's in danger?"

Axel didn't reply.

"Axie? I can't sleep. Can't I come in your bed with you?"

Axel looked as if he was about to say no, but he lifted the duvet slightly, and the muffled reply came:

"If you must."

~::~

Jasmine snuggled up to her warm, older brother, but she still couldn't get comfy.

" _Relax_ , Jasmine, you're making a fuss out of nothing," Axel said.

Outside the door, they heard the familiar pad of flippers on carpet.

"There, Dad's going to sort it," Axel said. "So just go to sleep!"

Jasmine tried. She tried so hard to shut up and go to sleep. But she couldn't.


	3. Nothing You Can Do

Miss Piggy was a mess. Paralyzed with fear, she was too scared to scream. The murderer had vanished, leaving nothing but a knife in one unfortunate pig's chest. Piggy was sobbing, and trembling and wondering what on earth was going to happen next.

~::~

"Piggy?" A shocked voice came from the house.

Kermit looked terrified as he saw what had happened. He ran down the steps, and knelt by her side. Kermit grabbed the knife in his hands, and gave it such a vicious tug, that Miss Piggy shrieked again. He abruptly let go.

"What do I do?" Kermit said desperately. "I don't know what to do!"

"There's nothing you can do," Miss Piggy said, softly.

"No!" Kermit rubbed his eyes roughly with the back of his hand. "This can't be happening."

"I'm sorry," Piggy whispered.

Kermit brushed off her apology, it wasn't her fault, he knew that. But he had to find out whose it was.

"Piggy, who did this to you?"

She didn't know.

"Piggy, listen to me, I'm going to find out who did this, and I'm going to see that justice is done. That's a promise."

They were both silent for a while. There was no noise, aside from the occasional leaf drifting by in the wind.

"Kermie," Piggy said quietly. "Before I…go, can you do something for me?"

Kermit didn't dare say anything, for fear of breaking the moment, but he nodded slightly.

Miss Piggy leaned up as far as she could (which wasn't very far, as she was very weak."

"K-kiss me."

The kiss didn't last long, less than half a minute, and when it was over, Kermit could feel Piggy slipping away.

"Piggy please!" Kermit was desperate. "There must be something you know, about who did this to you."

Piggy looked at him, and with her last breath, she uttered two words, in a voice barely above a whisper.

"Green eyes."

"Green eyes?" Kermit repeated. "What's that supposed to mean?"

Miss Piggy didn't reply.

"Piggy? Piggy please, don't leave me yet!"

Kermit tried so hard not to believe it. He shook Miss Piggy gently, trying to somehow wake her up. All the while, repeating the same phrase over and over:

"This can't be happening. This can't be happening. This can't be happening!"

He yanked the knife sharply out of her chest, but this time, she didn't flinch.


	4. Lies

Waking up in your big brother's bed is weird. Jasmine knew this, and as soon as she was awake, she shot out of Axel's bed.

She remembered what had happened last night, but in the light of day, it seemed unlikely that the scream was real.

Was it a dream? That sounded more likely.

"Hey, Axie," she said. "What happened last night, was that real? Or was it just a very realistic dream?"

It was real alright. Axel remembered it well.

But wait a minute, if Axel told his little sister that it was all true, she would go all melodramatic on him again.

Axel knew that the easiest thing to do would be to deny everything.

"Last night? Nothing happened last night."

"Sure?" Jasmine checked. "Huh, must've been a dream."

Axel mentally breathed a sigh of relief. He didn't like lying, but he knew that sometimes in life, it was essential.

Hopefully, nothing bad would come of it. How bad could lying about foxes to your little sister to stop her freaking out be?

"Hey, guys," a voice came from outside the room. "Have you seen Kermit anywhere?"

It was Scooter.

"I can't find him anywhere, or Miss Piggy."

Axel shrugged. "Haven't seen them."

"OK. It's probably nothing. It just seems strange for him to vanish without saying anything."

Scooter turned to go, but he turned back as he thought of something.

"Hey, did you hear that racket last night? Someone was screaming their head off!"

~::~

Jasmine glared at her brother, as soon as Scooter had left.

"A dream? Nice one, bro."

Axel looked guilty. He had been caught.

"Alright, I want some answers. What are you hiding from me?"

"Nothing!" Axel insisted.

"So there _was_ screaming last night?"

"Yeah."

"So why did you lie about it?"

"Because I didn't want you to think that something serious was happening!"

"And _was_ something serious happening?"

"No! Foxes, I told you!"

Jasmine fixed Axel with a dark look. She used to think she could trust him, was that a lie too?


	5. Being Careful

Kermit must've cried himself to sleep, because he was awoken by a terrified yell. Scooter stood at the balcony of the theatre, visibly shaking with terror at what he'd just seen. He was soon followed by Fozzie, Gonzo, Walter and Robin.

"Scooter, what's up? What's going on?" Fozzie asked him frantically.

Scooter said nothing, but pointed a trembling finger at the scene below. Miss Piggy and Kermit.

~::~

Kermit sighed. He cast a loving glance over to Miss Piggy, still lying motionless on the pavement. Begrudgingly, Kermit got to his feet, and trudged back to the theatre, where the other Muppets were staring, gobsmacked at the whole scene.

"Kermit, what happened? Talk to us!"

"I…I…She…"

Kermit tried hard, but it was as if the words got stuck in his throat.

Walter took hold of his hands and squeezed them reassuringly.

"It's OK," is all he said. "It's alright."

After a long pause, Kermit's nephew Robin said: "I guess we've figured out what all the screaming last night was about."

Gonzo peered over the balcony. "Is she…?"

He daren't say the rest.

Kermit nodded miserably. "I'm going to find out who did it," he said firmly. "I have to, I promised her I would."

"You mean…she was…murdered?"

Fozzie asked, shivering at the thought.

"Well, of course!" Robin said, like it was a stupid question. "She didn't get stabbed in the-"

Kermit tensed, and Robin shut up, quick.

"Point is," Robin went on. "Things like this don't happen by accident."

"But if there's a serial killer on the loose, then we're all in danger!" Gonzo yelled.

Scooter hadn't said a thing throughout the situation, but as the Muppets descended into chaos, Scooter yelled: "THE MUPPETS ARE DOOMED!"

Walter sighed. "Guys! Guys! This isn't helping! We just need to calm down and take things one step at a time. Right, Kermit?"

Sometimes, Kermit hated being in charge. The other Muppets relied on him for almost everything, and it could sometimes get a little over-bearing.

"Yeah, we need to think about what we're doing here," Kermit said. "If the Muppets are in danger, we're gonna need to be careful."

"Before you go on, Unc, I have a question," Robin said. "What are you gonna do about Axel and Jasmine?"


	6. At the Swamp

"It can't be that bad," Axel said. "Whatever it is that Dad's hiding, he didn't have to send us _here_."

He was sat on a log. Axel miserably looked around and took in his surroundings.

The swamp.

His Dad had told him that he had to stay here for a while, while some 'business' was attended to back home.

From the pond next to where Axel was sitting, Jasmine surfaced from the water.

"Oh, don't be like that, bro!" she said. "I'm having a _great_ time!"

"You would," Axel said, half scornfully, and half enviously. "A pig just doesn't fit in in a swamp."

"Hey, you're a pig! What're you doing here?" a random frog said.

"See what I mean?" Axel said.

Jasmine scrambled out of the pond, shook herself dry and sat next to him on the log.

"I know what's worrying you, Axie," she said. "You're worrying about the screams the other night."

Axel nodded. "What if someone's in danger? What if…what if that's what Dad's hiding by sending us here?!"

"Chill out, Axie, it can't be that. Besides, if Dad was hiding something, he would've told us by now!"

 **Exciting (and non-related) announcement! I have a FictionPress account! Yes, I have the same username, so if you just go over to FictionPress and search my name, I have three stories on that site, and if you check them out, that would be awesome! Peace!**


	7. The Truth

Miss Piggy was buried the following day. A few people tried to inquire about a funeral, but Kermit just shook his head sadly. All he wanted was to stop thinking about it. For these tragic memories to cease haunting him.

But he knew that would never happen.

No-one said a word as the Muppets crowded around the gravestone of the one they had lost. The sky was a deep shade of indigo, the weather cloudy and miserable, blocking out stars and hope. Kermit reached out and touched the gravestone – it was cold and rough.

 _How could this happen?_ he thought as he glanced up at the sky. _And why to me?_

 _Piggy…I miss you._

He wanted to talk to her, tell her he was sorry for everything bad he'd done. Tell her that she was amazing, and he'd never forget about her. Tell her he loved her.

But he couldn't. Not with all the guys around.

What was the point, anyway? She couldn't hear him. She was…gone.

A crash of lightning came like a wake-up call, as the sky's tears drenched Kermit's face.

He sighed.

"We…we'd better get going," Robin said eventually, breaking the silence.

The guys nodded and murmured in agreement, but as they turned to go, Kermit didn't move.

Fozzie glanced back at his friend. "Kermit?"

"I…uh…" His voice cracked when he spoke. "I think I might stay here for a bit, on my own. I'll…I'll see you guys later."

Walter couldn't stand to see his friend so hurt. He took a step forward, and threw his arms around Kermit.

"You'll be OK," Walter said.

Kermit clung on, but said nothing; his throat was tight from trying not to cry.

"And Kermit, you need to tell the kids sometime."

This statement cut Kermit inside with guilt.

"I know," he whimpered. "I just don't know how."

Walter released himself from the hug and looked Kermit straight in the eyes.

"You need to tell them the _truth_. They're old enough to understand!"

"OK…OK. I'll…I'll try."

Kermit watched his friend slowly trudge down the hill. He waited until they were out of sight, before flopping down by the grave, and crying his eyes out.

 _Piggy. I'm sorry. I should've done something._


	8. Denial

The second hand slowly trudged around the face of the clock. Ticking, ticking.

Jasmine sat on a nearby crate, by the door. Waiting, waiting.

Axel paced up and down the floorboards. Pacing, pacing.

"He should be here by now," Jasmine declared, breaking the silence suddenly.

"Yeah," Axel agreed. "What was it he said he was doing? 'Attending to business'?" He scoffed. "Like we believe that."

Jasmine said nothing, she just glanced back at the door. Waiting, waiting.

"Is he still not back?" came a voice from behind the two.

Axel and Jasmine glanced around and saw Robin.

"Nope," Axel said. "He's been gone for hours!"

"Do you know where he's gone, Rob?" Jasmine asked her cousin.

Over his shoulder, Robin caught Walter's eye, and Walter gave him 'The Look'. Robin knew exactly what 'The Look' was.

All of the Muppets had recently made a vow to not tell the kids what had happened to their mother – that was Kermit's job and Kermit's job alone.

Robin shrugged. "Beats me. He just said he was going out, no specification. I'm sure it's nothing important, though." He yawned. "Well, I'm off to bed, night, guys."

"Jas, you should go to bed too," Axel said. "It's pretty late."

"I'm staying up until Dad gets back," Jasmine said, stubbornly.

"I thought so."

Just then, there was a clunk of keys in the lock, and Kermit appeared, looking tired and dishevelled.

"Dad!" Jasmine jumped up immediately and threw her arms around Kermit.

Axel, however, stood his ground. "Where've you been?"

"Axel, don't be like that," Kermit scolded.

Axel held his accusing glare for a second longer, then in an instant, it was gone.

"Sorry."

"But Dad," Jasmine put in. "We were worried about you, you were gone for hours!"

Axel raised an eyebrow. _Worried? I don't think so. Annoyed, more like._

"Well, kids," Kermit said. "I…uh…I've got something to tell you."

He took a seat on the crate, and Jasmine joined him. Axel was a little hesitant, but he decided to sit as well.

"I…uh…I don't know quite how to tell you this…"

"Is it…bad news?" Jasmine asked.

Kermit nodded.

"Well…uh…you see…"

"Can you just tell us for God's sake, and then we can go to bed! It's nearly eleven o clock!" Axel snapped.

Kermit could see that his son was angry, but he could explain himself, if only he could get the words out.

"It's about your mum," he blurted out. "Something happened the other night…"

"Which night?" Jasmine asked.

"The one before last."

Jasmine remembered the commotion she had heard that night, and how Axel had lied.

"The one with the _strange noises_?" she asked, looking pointedly at her brother.

Kermit nodded again.

"Your mum…she's…she's gone. She's not coming back."

"What do you mean by that?" Axel asked, clearly fed up of his dad beating around the bush.

Kermit didn't reply, but simply looked at his son, torn-up expression, and tears in his eyes, he just looked at him.

And then everything clicked into place.

"She's dead?"

With one final nod, Kermit buried his face in his lap, unable to hold back the tears any longer.

"What?" Jasmine said. "No…no way. That…that's impossible! That's crazy. That's… That's…" she trailed off, unable to end her sentence. "Dad? It's…it's not true…is it?"

"I can't lie to you, Jasmine," came the reply.

There were no words left after that. Jasmine stood up abruptly, and backed away slowly. Looking back and forth between her father and her brother, it took every part of her not to burst into tears.

"It's not true…"

Her voice was nothing but a hollow echo.

"It's…not…"

She suddenly turned on her heel, and fled.

"Jasmine?" Axel called after her. As she disappeared round a corner, Axel turned to his Dad. "Where's she going?"

Kermit had his head in his hands. "I was hoping she wouldn't react like this. Denial. She's gone to go and find your mum."

"But she's…" Axel tried to meet Kermit's gaze, but when he did, he immediately looked away. He couldn't tell him about what he heard that night. And what he said…

"Dad…that 'business' you were attending to…it's this, isn't it?"

Kermit nodded, no words needed.

"Dad, listen…I knew something was going on…but…I never expected it to be this…"

"It's OK, son, it's alright."

Axel allowed himself to be pulled in for a hug, even though he wasn't great with affection. In fact, this whole situation was making him close to tears…

No! He couldn't cry! He had to stay strong, for his Dad, and his little sister. He was the tough one.

He was…

Wasn't he?

Maybe it didn't seem that way when his face was streaked with tears.

"Axel, are you OK?" Kermit asked.

Axel just shrugged.

"Listen," his Dad said. "I know it's tough for you…but we've got to get Jasmine before she drives herself crazy."

Axel nodded. He sniffed hard and scrubbed his eyes roughly with the back of his hand.

 _This is it_ he thought _I have to bottle up all my feelings._

But it was for his sister. He'd do anything for his little sister.


End file.
